Kenta Kobashi

Kobashi stands as one of the lower key boxers, having entered boxing in the same class and year as Ippo. While both are openly shy and mellow in temperament, Kobashi does not share Ippo's skill as a boxer and resorts to duller tactics to attain victory in the ring. He trains at the Ohtaki Gym. In matches, he is known to throw together simple jabs, footwork, and clinching in a defensive style designed to win on points. Lacking destructive power in his punches, Kobashi has focused on less aggressive boxing and even utilizes a strong cross-arm block to hold superior attackers at bay. He almost defeated Ippo by taking points in the Rookie King Tournament, but was KO´d in the last minute. He is a former JBC Jr. Featherweight Champion, (having defeated Ryuichi Hayami and ending his career), but has since retired without defending once to become a trainer. His trainer mentions that his boxing style is similar to "Slapsie" Maxie Rosenbloom who had 209 victories, but only won 19 of them by KO. He like his trainer, would spy on his opponent to study and find weaknesses that he can use to formulate a strategy that can easily win by points. Incidentally, this is the name of real-life professional wrestler Kenta Kobashi; however the kanji for his real name is the same while the kanji for his ring name can be seen in the article on the wrestler (as well as the two being shown on the Japanese version thereof). Voiced by: Taiki Matsuno